


Be the Best (Like No One Ever Was)

by ken_ichijouji (dommific)



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Relationships, Frottage, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Pokemon GO - Freeform, Pokemon GO Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 03:55:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7742353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dommific/pseuds/ken_ichijouji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim is struggling with his master's thesis, so he needs a break. Pokemon Go gives him more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Be the Best (Like No One Ever Was)

**Author's Note:**

> Ha ha. I wrote the first part of this on Tumblr and people seemed to dig it, so now here we are with more. 
> 
> There is background Hikaru/Ben, Nyota/Spock, and Scotty/Chekov. Good stuff.
> 
> I live in NC, and that's where I set Starfleet U in this fic. It's essentially replaced my Alma Mater of NCSU with a cameo of a restaurant in Greenville. IDK I felt like something different than SF for a change.
> 
> Oh and I picked Valor for Jim even though Instinct is yellow because Valor fits his personality better.

Jim is halfway between burning his master’s thesis to the ground and locking himself in his office for three days to finish it with nothing but beer and Sour Patch kids for company when he pulls the app up on his phone in order to preserve his sanity.

The disclaimer kicks in warning him to stay alert with a picture of a giant blue dragon about to eat a dude looking at his phone. Then the music starts and there are his stats: CaptainFine, level 19, Valor. 

And there’s a Pikachu nearby.

The thesis gets forgotten. Jim starts wandering around the grad students’ offices, sometimes spinning in circles, noting when the distance markers signify he’s getting cold or hot. They take him into an open door, and sure enough, a giant yellow mouse with red cheeks stands in range.

Jim touches the screen, switches to the great balls (no way is he risking Pikachu breaking out and running away) and nabs him with a curveball on the first throw. “Shit yeah!” he says while jumping up and down.

“Uh…” a voice says to his right. Jim turns—there are two PhD students staring at him. One has a bowl cut and glasses, wearing a blue cardigan over a tie, and the other…wow he’s hot. Brown hair cut in a sexy style, green eyes like the grass after it rains, vintage Prince t-shirt and worn-in Chucks and jeans.

“What was that you were just doing?” says Bowl Cut.

The music continues to blare off Jim’s phone.

“Uh, it’s…Pokemon Go? You know that thing everyone plays all over campus. Well and the world, really. It’s kind of this insane phenomenon. There was a Pikachu and—”

Bowl Cut’s left eyebrow climbs into his hair.

The hot guy immediately grabs his phone and turns on the app. “Pikachu has been elusive,” he says. The game boots up, and he shouts. “Yes!”

He manages to get the Pikachu too, and he renames it in his Pokedex.

Jim stares. 

The guy smirks. “You better be Team Mystic,” he tells Jim.

Jim’s expression turns smart-assed. “Better red than dead.”

Mystic narrows his eyes. “Are you the one who keeps taking my gym?”

Jim bites his bottom lip. “You’re DoctorLen with the super high CP Vaporeon.”

“CaptainFine, you little shit,” the guy says, and they shake hands. Jim lingers, noting the guy doesn’t pull away.

“I have so many questions,” says Bowl Cut.

The Doctor snorts. “I’ve tried to get Spock to play, but he says it’s a sign of the end times.”

Spock sighs. “What I said is that we as a culture do not need more reasons to detach from the reality and people around us, as this game seems to be inspiring.”

“You just watched us make friends,” Jim points out. “Jim Kirk, by the way. I’m focusing my graduate studies on American military history.”

“Oh you’re Pike’s fella,” DoctorLen says. “Spock and I are under Boyce. History of medicine, Leonard McCoy.”

“Nice,” Jim says. He checks the app—there’s a Wheezing nearby. “Are you busy?”

“I can take a break,” Leonard says. He grabs a hoodie with the Starfleet U logo on it.

“Someone set a lure downstairs,” Jim reads. “And there’s a Wheezing.”

They bolt out the door to the Pokestop, parking under it and catching a bunch of Pokemon. They talk while they do it, Jim learning Leonard’s mom is a bit miffed he opted for history of medicine instead of an actual MD like his dad. Jim commiserates with a mom who wanted him at MIT. They nab pretty decent Growlithes, an Ivysaur, and a Ponyta. Jim stands close to Leonard the whole time, looking at him when his eyes aren’t on his screen.

The lure runs out, and Leonard shuts down the app. He gives Jim this sort of smile that’s only part of one. It’s cute, and Jim is smitten. 

“So,” Jim says. “Do you want to get dinner later? There’s a bunch of gyms and Pokestops just off campus in the historic district, and there’s this place with really good tacos—”

“I know that place,” Leonard says.

“Is that a yes?” Jim asks with a grin.

“Yeah,” Leonard replies. “Come back by my office again at eight. We’ll walk over together.”

Jim grins, and he reaches up and runs a hand through Leonard’s hair. Leonard flushes, but his eyes sparkle. “It’s a date.”

Leonard smiles another one of those half-of-ones and heads upstairs back to his office. Jim waits, follows a few minutes later as he switches from the game to his texts. _Got a hot date tonight, don’t wait up_ he texts his roommate.

Hikaru texts back quickly. _Perfect because I forgot that Ben is coming this weekend. He took the Amtrak down from Georgetown._

Hikaru is also one of Pike’s focusing on history of aviation. Ben is his fiance who is a med student at Georgetown. They take turns going back and forth twice a month. 

Jim grins. _Play your cards right, and I’ll be scarce all weekend._

Hikaru replies so fast Jim wonders if he even got the text. _Don’t sleep on benches, dude. It’s unseemly._

 _Nah more like I met someone,_ Jim explains. _He’s Boyce’s, super hot. McCoy?_

This time the phone rings. Jim answers. “Mmmello?”

“Dude that kid is a dish and a half,” Hikaru says. Jim hears pots and pans clanging in the background. Hikaru’s culinary specialities are pasta and more pasta so he hopes Ben is ready to carb load. “But he’s always like...closed off and grouchy. How’d you crack that stone-cold veneer?”

Jim shrugs. “Pikachu.”

“Gasheundheit,” Hikaru replies. Both of them pause. “Oh wait. That game you’re always on about.” Another pause. “He’s into that?”

Smiling, Jim cradles his phone between his ear and shoulder. “Yeah. Pikachu was in his office. We spent a half hour talking under an active lure. We’re getting tacos and scouting the Pokestops tonight. If things go Jim’s way, Jim won’t be home.”

“Nice,” Hikaru says. “Well, I won’t keep you. Good luck. Stay at Gaila’s if you strike out.” He hangs up, and Jim snorts. He goes back to work on his thesis, checking the clock every so often. At 7:57 he saves his work on his thumb drive, powers down his computer, and exits his office. He knocks on Leonard and Spock’s door.

Spock and Leonard both look up, and Jim smiles at them both. “Hey. Ready?”

Leonard grabs his hoodie and a snapback, putting the latter in his bag. “Yup. See you Monday Spock?”

“Adieu, Leonard,” Spock says as he grabs his coat. 

Jim and Leonard walk together close, their hands brushing as they head towards the taquiera. It makes Jim a bit giddy as Leonard asks for a table for two--there’s a bit of a wait since it’s a bustling Friday night, and they go to the bar to get drinks. They get margaritas with salt on the rocks and sip in silence for a second. “So what brings you here for school?” Jim asks.

“Boyce,” Leonard answers. “He’s an expert in my field. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“Ditto,” Jim says. “Pike is rough but fair. Always pushing me to excel.”

“That’s Phil,” Leonard answers. “Never had it so hard.”

“Same,” Jim replies. It’s an answer but not what he wants. “Your accent. Georgia?”

“Marietta,” Leonard says, surprise obvious in the tone of his voice. “Went to Ole Miss for undergrad. Decided to come here for grad school to get away from home. Too much talking.”

“About what?” Jim asks. He turns fully to his companion.

“I’m divorced,” Leonard answers. “Got married at 20, divorced at 24. And...here I am.”

“Oh, um...” Jim doesn’t know how to respond. “So you’re not...you don’t really…”

Leonard shakes his head and smiles. “It’s been two years, and it was amicable.”

The smile returns to Jim’s face. “Oh. Well. I’d be lying if I acted like that’s not good news.” Snorting, Leonard sips his drink. He favors Jim with a raised eyebrow, and Jim grins in return. He reaches out, putting a hand on Leonard’s thigh. Leonard flushes like he did on campus and smiles. 

Before Jim can make a move, the host calls them to their table. Jim sits opposite Leonard and they peruse the menus, though Jim knows what he wants. They order a queso to split, Jim getting the lengua tacos and Leonard getting shrimp. The queso comes out quickly, and they munch while talking.

“I had a bad break up not too long ago,” Jim says. “His name is Gary. He cheated.”

Leonard winces. “That’s shitty, I’m sorry.”

“Eh, he was a dick,” Jim replies with a shrug. “I’m better off.”

“Yup,” Leonard says with a smile. “Jocelyn didn’t cheat, but we just weren’t compatible.”

“I figured since you said it was amicable,” Jim says after swallowing a mouthful of chips and cheese. “What’s she doing now?”

“She’s in law school at Yale,” Leonard answers. “It’s been good for her.”

Jim nods as their tacos are brought to the table. They dig in, quiet for a while as they plow through them. This place has the best in town, and Jim comes here more than he should. Leonard seems to as well, judging from how quick he made up his mind. They finish their tacos, and Jim pays the check, heading back out into the night. 

Jim pulls up the game, as does Leonard. There’s a Pokestop inside the restaurant. There’s one across the street in a coffee shop and bar called Bittersweet, too. Before Jim can ask, Leonard gives him a smile. “Let’s head there,” he says with a gesture at the coffee shop. “Best lemon cake in town.”

Jim grins. “Lead the way.”

Leonard puts a hand on his back, steering him into the shop. Jim can feel the heat of his palm through his sweatshirt, an incredibly pleasant feeling. They enter the shop, and Leonard orders them cocktails, a slice of the lemon cake, and they get a seat at an intimate corner in the back. Leonard sets a lure, and they idly catch some really quality Pokemon: Lickitungs, Jigglypuffs, an Arcanine. They take turns taking bites of the lemon cake, Jim’s eyes lighting up with the first taste.

It’s amazing.

The drinks compliment the cake perfectly. Jim gives Leonard a look. 

Leonard smiles. “I tended bar through undergrad.”

“Makes sense.” Jim points at himself. “Tailor at Nordstrom.”

Leonard raises an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Jim says with a slight grin. “You need your pants hemmed, I’m your man. I trade my roommate for oil changes often.”

“Nice,” Leonard says with a chuckle. It warms Jim’s heart. “The life of a broke student.”

“Yeah,” Jim says with an answering chuckle of his own. “We chose this life.”

“We did,” Leonard answers. The lure runs out, as has the cake and the drinks. Jim checks his watch---it’s going on eleven. He doesn’t want it to end.

For the first time ever, Jim doesn’t want a date to end. He normally rushes to the sex part and bails when it’s over, but he wants to keep talking to this handsome man. Leonard gives Jim a long look. “So my place is a few blocks from here...would you like to---”

“Yes!” Jim cuts him off.

Leonard laughs, really laughs, and Jim flushes.

“I mean...yes, that would be lovely.” Jim with the save.

Leonard shakes his head, taking his hand and leading him down the street to his house. He talks while walking about his dissertation---it’s about the evolution of orthopedic surgery since the Civil War. Jim listens, because it is actually very interesting.

They get caught at a light, and Jim seizes the day. He pulls Leonard close, stares into his eyes for a moment, and kisses him. Leonard kisses back, and they miss the light change because of it. When they break apart, Jim bites his bottom lip while smiling. 

It’s a stellar kiss.

Leonard lives in a little two bedroom Victorian just a couple streets back from campus. He unlocks the door, calling out the name, “Scotty;” Jim assumes that he’s the roommate as Leonard checks the mail. There’s a note on a chalkboard that Jim points out.

Len---  
Working late with Pavel again on his project. Don’t wait up.  
-Scotty 

“Ah, right,” Leonard says. “Pavel is an undergrad that Scotty’s taken under his wing. They’re working on his senior thesis.”

“Ah okay,” Jim says.

Leonard takes his sweatshirt and hangs it with his hoodie. Jim’s wearing an Iowa shirt underneath. Leonard pulls him close, kissing him again, but this time they navigate through the house. Leonard’s bedroom is upstairs so they pause the kissing for those, but once they’re ensconced within his walls, they attack each other. Clothing gets dropped to the floor, and Jim finds himself lying on his back in Leonard’s bed as their erections rub against each other.

Jim closes his eyes, biting Leonard’s shoulder as they move together. Leonard is groaning, his sounds filling the room as Jim comes. Leonard follows a second behind him, and Jim laughs. 

“What’s funny?” Leonard asks, his words drawled together in the haze of his orgasm. 

“Nothing really,” Jim explains as he kisses Leonard’s sweaty forehead. “But this isn’t how I expected my day to end.”

Leonard props himself up. “Me neither.” He bends down and kisses him. He gets up, pausing at the door. “Scotty?” he calls.

No answer.

Leonard leaves the room naked and comes back with a wet cloth. He wipes them down, then pulls the covers around them. He spoons behind Jim with a hand covering his heart. “You should stay.”

Jim warms, his heart thudding in his chest. “I’d love to.”

Leonard kisses where his shoulder and neck meet. “Good.” He pulls him in tighter. “I don’t normally do this.”

Jim knows what he means. He knows because he’s the same---neither of them have burn wounds anymore, but they still have rules. “Me neither, Bones,” comes out on a yawn.

“Did you just call me Bones?” asks Bones.

“Mhm,” Jim answers, his eyes drifting closed. So sleepy. 

Bones chuckles. “Fine. Kid.”

Jim’s already dozed off. When he awakens, it’s because of his watch alarm. It’s seven am, and Jim groans, shuts it off. Bones pulls him close with a low grumble. 

“It’s far too damn early,” he grouses.

“I agree,” Jim says as he cuddles back into him. 

He turns so they face each other, and Jim presses a kiss to Bones’ jaw. He stirs at this, and Jim kisses down his throat to his chest and below. He treats Bones to an early morning blow job, the favor getting returned when Bones has finished coming. They doze back off for an hour and then it’s going on nine am. 

Bones pulls on an old tank and a pair of flannel pants, handing Jim similar clothing. They go downstairs, and Jim watches him make pancakes from scratch. He sets a plate piled high in front of Jim, and Jim digs in with syrup and butter.

“Oi,” calls a voice from upstairs. It rambles in Scottish slang Jim can’t follow until a man with red hair in a red t-shirt and plaid boxers appears in the kitchen. “Ah never mind. I didn’t realize you have a guest.”

“Morning, Scotty,” Bones answers as he passes him a plate. He has his own, and he sits next to Jim. His foot rests right on Jim’s, not in a stompy way, and Jim flushes at the warmth and intimacy. “Scotty, this is Jim. Jim, this is Scotty.”

They shake hands, Jim wiping his on a paper towel in case it’s sticky. “Pleasure.”

“Charmed,” Scotty says with a grin. “I was wondering what the occasion was,” he says with a point of a pancake-laden fork at Bones. “It’s the first time Leonard’s made pancakes this semester.”

Jim smiles at him. “Oh?”

Bones shrugs. “Today’s special.” He takes Jim’s hand and kisses the back of it.

“Must be,” Scotty says with a chuckle. He clears their plates. “Len, I need first shower. I’m meeting Pavel at that green juice place to do more work.”

Bones’ eyebrow rises. “You ‘work’ with Pavel an awful lot, you know.”

Jim eyes Scotty with interest, but he doesn’t join in the teasing. They only just met.

Scotty doesn’t catch the entendre. “He’s brilliant, and the kid is going places. Maybe I’ll get thanked in a Nobel speech in a few years.” He heads upstairs whistling, and Jim shakes his head.

“C’mon kid,” Bones says as he pulls him upstairs. “The shower’s old and loud. Let’s work off those pancakes.”

“Twist my arm,” Jim says as they run up the stairs and lock Leonard’s door. Leonard has the presence of mind to get the condoms and lubricant this time, and after he’s done fucking Jim with a break for water, Jim fucks him into the mattress. 

Both of them should work on their papers, but instead they spend the day eating, sleeping, or having sex, and Jim hasn’t ever been this happy. He finally checks his phone around eight pm while Bones rummages in the fridge for dinner. 

_Where are you? Are you dead?_

Jim sighs. _No, I’m not dead. I’m with a guy._

Ten seconds later, and his phone rings. Jim sighs. “Hello?”

“A guy? Where did you meet a guy?” Nyota asks with a grin in her voice.

“He’s a grad student in my department,” Jim answers. “Name’s Leonard McCoy. I’m staying at his place all weekend. Hanging up now---”

“Brunch, Jim.” Nyota huffs. “Bring him tomorrow, Gaila and I insist. Cinnamon for bottomless mimosas.”

Jim sighs. It’s a bit early for the whole meet the friends deal. Nyota and Gaila are more like sisters than friends. There’s a reason why Jim has couch-surfing privileges when Ben’s in town. “Okay. Noon?”

“Yup. Bye, Jim.” Nyota hangs up. 

Bones returns upstairs with a tray full of goodies. Sheep’s milk cheese nachos with pepper jam and crumbled bacon, a bottle of white wine, and brownie chips. They eat in bed. 

“So did you and Jocelyn divorce because of the whole queer thing?” Jim can’t help but ask. 

“Partially,” Bones replies. “She also realized she doesn’t want to be married at all. She’s aromantic.”

“Ah okay,” Jim replies. “How’d your family take it?”

“Dad died when I was in high school,” Bones answers. “Cancer. Mom kind of always knew. She’s okay with it. She just wants me happy.”

“My dad died when I was five,” Jim says. “Mom had a live-in boyfriend who was an asshole. Then it was just me, her, and Sam. I kind of...drove a car off a cliff.”

Bones pauses mid-bite.

“I am obviously okay,” Jim clarifies. “The car was dad’s. Frank was gonna sell it. Figured it made more sense. That made her dump him so you know, win-win.”

“Fair enough,” Bones answers. He eats a brownie chip.

Dinner eaten, Bones pulls Jim down and kisses him. That’s when Jim remembers about the brunch. “Oh, you and I have to meet at Cinnamon tomorrow at noon.”

Bones pulls back. His eyebrow, which Jim is going to call legendary along with his hands because _good God almighty_ he is awesome with those, is in his hair. “Your friends?”

“Yeah, Nyota and Gaila are busybodies,” Jim replies. 

Bones snorts. “Fair enough.” He gets back down to business, and the two of them, spent from so much sex, pass out early and wake up late. They shower together, and Jim puts on Friday’s clothes. Leonard has on a button-up flannel over a Nirvana shirt and a pair of worn in jeans, and since Cinnamon is a bit of a hike, this time he drives them in his 1970s Mercedes. 

“Think your roommate will trade me oil changes too?” Bones wonders. 

Jim presses a kiss to his lips at a light. “Yeah, I can swing that.”

They arrive at the restaurant to see that Hikaru and Ben are there with the girls at a super long table in the back. Cinnamon is an Indian restaurant that does a buffet brunch with a mimosa bar in the corner. They’re told to help themselves, and they pile plates high with naan, butter chicken, and yellow daal. 

Gaila, Hikaru, and Nyota take turns grilling Bones, who weathers it with good humor. Ben at one point tells him he went through the same, and they all laugh. Gaila realizes she knows Bones’ roommate, as they’re both in the nuclear engineering department. Nyota sits on Jim’s other side from Bones, and she turns into his ear. “I like him,” she says into her third mimosa. “Don’t fuck it up.”

Jim chokes on his naan, Bones whacking him on the back.

Halfway into their brunch, Bones’ officemate walks up to their table. He raises an eyebrow at Bones and Jim sitting so close. “Leonard, this is a surprise.”

“Hi Spock,” Bones answers. He gestures at Jim. “You remember Jim Kirk?”

They shake hands, and Jim realizes Nyota has sat straighter, tossing her hair over one shoulder. “Leonard, introduce us,” she implores.

Bones raises an eyebrow at her, but it gets higher on his forehead when he sees Spock staring at her like she’s the first woman he’s ever seen, like she’s Helen of Troy and Wonder Woman rolled into one. “Spock S’chn T’gai, this is Nyota Uhura, Gaila O’Ryan, Hikaru Sulu, and Ben Lin.” There are empty seats. “Please, join us.” 

Spock gestures, gets his plate and sits across from Nyota. The pair quickly hit it off, Nyota explaining that she’s getting her PhD in linguistic studies focusing on Swahili. It’s the native tongue of her family, she explains. 

The only word to describe Spock is twitterpated, which amuses Bones to no end. 

The brunch ends, and Jim pays for him and Bones. They stand outside of the restaurant as everyone parts ways, though he notes Spock is going with Nyota and Gaila back to their apartment. 

“You coming home, Jim?” Hikaru asks. “Ben’s train is in an hour.”

Jim looks at Bones. Bones looks a bit bummed at the prospect. “No, I think I’m going to spend the night at Bones’ again, Hikaru. I’ll see you tomorrow morning to get a change of clothes.”

“Word,” Hikaru says while throwing up the deuces. “See you, Jim. Nice to meet you, Leonard.”

Nyota and Gaila hug him goodbye, and Ben shakes his hand. They all go their separate ways, Bones pulling up to the Victorian. He opens his front door, and him and Jim take off their shoes in the entryway. 

“I could use a cup of coffee,” Bones declares as they round the corner into the kitchen to be greeted by Scotty kissing a kid with curly auburn hair.

Jim snickers, looks at Bones, mouths “Pavel?”

Bones nods. They back out of the kitchen, quietly climbing the stairs. This puts a damper on their ability to have more loud sex, and Jim pouts for a moment at the realization. Bones checks his cell, and he sighs. “Now _my_ friends want to meet and grill _you_ ,” he says with a snort. “Carol, Christine, Jaylah, and Geoff...man.”

Jim has both of his hands up by his mouth. He laughs. “Let’s pry Scotty and Pavel off each other and get Mellow Mushroom. It sounds like pizza will work.”

Bones walks up to him, kisses him for at least five minutes, and then tells his friends they’re in. 

Jim loads up the game and realizes the church across the street from Bones’ house is a Pokestop. He sets a lure, and they chat while catching enough Eevees they both can evolve one of theirs. They use the naming trick and Jim gets a great Jolteon, while Bones gets a magnificent Flareon. 

Jim eyes his Bones over the game as Bones battles to take back the gym next to the Pokestop. He’ll play the game forever since it got him Bones. 

Even maybe during their vows at their wedding.


End file.
